Long ago, a least 20 years, a waitress in the restaurant I was head chef at, told me a story:
A father is killed in a car crash and his son is taken to hospital. The surgeon on duty says, “I can’t operate on this boy because he is my son.” How could that be?
It is a well-known story now, but at the time it took me several minutes to get it; I was really frustrated and angry with myself when I finally realised. We need to be constantly confronted with our own unconscious biases.
*In case you still didn’t get it after thinking about it for a few minutes, check the answer ‘hidden’ somewhere in this post – just a trick to check whether you have read it all the way down!
Diversity and inclusion is talked about a lot these days, and for good reasons; but everyday some people are treated less favourably and are discriminated against due to their ethnic origin, their gender identity, their disability, their age, their sexual orientation and identity, their religion or ideology.
It is everywhere in society around us, including in business, where diversity is supposedly welcomed and where we embrace differences as being positive and enriching everyone’s lives.
So, what is diversity and inclusion in the work place?
It is not simply ensuring that your organisation has a multicultural staff. You need to
purposely employ a workforce consisting of individuals with a range of characteristics and attributes.
Most people will normally have an understanding of diversity and equality, mentioning things such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexuality etc. But it is much broader than this, as it also applies to the diversity of language, education, background etc.
Diversity is about recognising and embracing difference. Inclusion is where people's differences are valued and actually used so that everyone can benefit and thrive at work.
What can (and should) you do to ensure diversity and inclusion in your workplace?
There are some simple things which will help:
- Maintain an open dialogue with diverse people to appreciate their unique perspectives
- Conduct training on cultural sensitivity
- Promote the organisation vision and goals in the office (posters, screen savers etc.)
- Hold special events to break down barriers, where employees can meet up and share their cultures and traditions
- Develop an employee resource group for people of diverse backgrounds
- Celebrate events for underrepresented cultures and backgrounds such as Chinese New Year, Black History Month, or Pride Week for example.
- Create an inclusive environment in which everyone is welcome to voice their opinions; give everyone a voice
- Use your company newsletter to allow people to share their stories and help people empathise with others
- Communicate regularly your company progress in diversity and inclusion to your workforce
- Have an online forum, where employees who want to understand diverse groups better, can ask questions anonymously without causing offense
- Reach out to local organisations that support diversity and inclusion and partner with them to spread the message.
**Some ideas from Forbes.com
However, it is essential that companies ensure both their policies and practices echo the magnitude of diversity and inclusion. They need to set diversity goals and commit to hiring a diverse workforce and ensure they track their progress toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation.
A few statistics which business owners should be aware of and take into consideration in regards to their recruiting policies.
- 83% of millennials are more engaged when they think their company fosters an inclusive culture. (Deloitte)
- Corporations identified as more diverse and inclusive are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. (McKinsey)
- Diverse companies are 70% more likely to capture new markets. (HBR)
- Companies reporting the highest levels of racial diversity brought in nearly 15 times more sales revenue on average than those with the lowest levels of racial diversity. (Science Daily)
- Companies employing an equal number of men and women manage to produce up to 41% higher revenue. (Clear Company)
- Diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions. (People Management)
What are the benefits of a diverse workforce?
“Having a diverse workforce means happier and healthier employees, customers feel more respected and managers have greater access to the talent and skillsets they need for their organizations to thrive.”
Bernard Tynes - Forbes Councils Member
Here are 8 benefits among many others:
- Fewer conflicts in the workplace
- Increased creativity, exchange of ideas and innovations
- Employees’ engagement boost
- Teams enjoy increased confidence
- Better understanding of your customers and their needs
- Wider choice of talents to recruit from
- Lower employee turnover
- Better company reputation
Large steps have been made these past few years in regards to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, but there is still a long way to go. There are many changes that organisations still have to do. Those that haven’t seriously looked at diversity and are yet to include it in their strategy, are going to be left behind. More customers are deciding to do business with companies that have a more diverse workforce, and more prospective employees are focusing their job search on companies that put diversity and inclusion at the heart of their recruiting policy.
The above statistics alone should encourage organisations to really focus on the issue, as the diversity and inclusion discussion is going nowhere.
Thank you and take care.
